A keyword is the word you want users to type, for example 1245. When you choose to try out our simple solution, you can choose your own keyword, depending on which solution you have. An example could be "CLOTHES" to 1245 if you want to join an SMS customer club. Most people quickly come up with a word that all recipients should write and then they don't give it a second thought.
But it actually pays to consider it carefully. We recommend using multiple keywords so you can track which ones have the best engagement from end users. You could imagine running several keywords in the different advertising campaigns to determine what works best. This is good knowledge to acquire in the long term.
Four guidelines for keyword selection
In this post, we want to share what we have learnt works really well when choosing keywords:
Keep it simple and precise. For example, if you are a charitable organisation, avoid having multiple words in your keyword as much as possible. For example, "DONATION100" may confuse the recipient, so they write it in two words. This means that the message doesn't necessarily get through. If you have multiple amounts to choose from, come up with a keyword for each one. For example, "DONATION" for 50 DKK, "DONATE" for 100 DKK and "CONTRIBUTE" for 150 DKK. The same can apply to other SMS types, such as marketing and service messages.
Is there a possibility that the recipient could misspell it? Then you should reconsider your keyword. Alternatively, you can purchase access to several different keywords that cover both the correct word but also alternative spellings.
Avoid combining numbers and letters. Not only because the recipient might write it in two, but also because it can be difficult to tell the difference. For example, the following message can have two outcomes "SMS TØJJ00 to 1245, to receive offers from our store". Many people will think they are just letters, but in fact the last two fields are actually numbers. In the worst case scenario, the recipient ends up not responding to your service.
Don't choose a keyword just because it looks good in print. Many companies think in terms of innovative and novel solutions, but this can discourage recipients. The keyword "SHOP" is preferable over "#$HOP". Although special characters, hashtags and abbreviations are popular, that doesn't mean they can be successfully transferred to SMS.
